


Looking Out For Number One

by sCATTERGUTS



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: And Gets One, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post Season 3, Steve Harrington Has PTSD, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21763822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sCATTERGUTS/pseuds/sCATTERGUTS
Summary: Steve and Dustin are on a road trip, and end up in some hotel. Everything's fine until Steve starts screaming in his sleep.
Relationships: Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson
Kudos: 84





	Looking Out For Number One

Dustin and his friends were off to see the Byers, but the trip was a long one and breaks were necessary.  
Soon they found themselves in a hotel off the freeway, and naturally Steve roomed with his little buddy. They’d settled in and by around 11 Steve had fallen asleep, his back turned to Dustin- he curled in on himself like a small animal, Dustin found it amusing and made a note to himself to tease him about it when he woke up. Dustin cracked open a book he had brought, turned the lamp on and promised to himself he’d only read 50 pages, shut the book and go to bed. But 2 hours later he was well over that page limit.  
Nothing distracted him until he heard a small noise, Dustin put his book down and looked around- Steve had moved a bit but that’s normal; otherwise, nothing had changed. Must have been some couple. Dustin looked at the clock beside him, and, when realizing how tired he was to be tomorrow if he kept this up, putting his book down he crept under the covers and turned the lamp off. A minute later, Dustin heard another sound, but it wasn’t like the last; it was shuffling. He turned the lamp back on to find Steve had turned over in his sleep, and had kicked a blanket off. Dustin sighed, turned the lamp back off and turned away from Steve. He didn’t hear much for a little bit, until it started again.  
Steve turned over again and made a noise that sounded like groaning. Dustin glanced over at him, but decided nothing of it.  
“No.”  
Dustin sat up. “Steve?” He wondered if he had woken up, but he was facing away from him- his shirt crawling up his torso, exposing his bony body- his hands clenching his sheets and his blanket on the floor. His eyes were tightly shut.  
“No, please.”  
Dustin was fairly certain he was having a nightmare, and he got up to go shake him awake.  
He was about to put his hands on his shoulders when he opened his mouth again, in hardly a whisper, he choked out  
“Stop, please.. Not them. Hurt me. Please.”  
Dustin’s hands drew back, and his heart sank. He hardly ever thought about how what had happened impacted Steve, he assumed he handled it well. He now knew that was foolish to think- he’d been beaten up by Russians- who wouldn’t have some trauma from that?  
But that was half of what had gotten to him. Even in his dreams he’d rather die than have people he cared about die. Dustin felt a weight on his heart- he’d done so much for Dustin, he’d saved his life more than once, but Dustin didn’t do much in return other than give him his friendship.  
Dustin looked down at Steve as a tear streaked the older boy’s cheek. He’d never seen him cry before.  
Dustin was grounded when he saw that tear, and he put his hands back on Steve’s shaking body, and shook him gently.  
“Steve?” he said, but he didn’t wake up, he just cried harder; choking on sobs and screams.  
“Not them!” Steve cried out, louder than he had before.  
Dustin shook him with force now. “Steve! Wake up,” he nearly yelled, forgetting himself. He added in a whisper “you’re scaring me.”  
With that he did wake up, shoving away Dustin and shooting up- looking like he was about to vomit as he cried out as if injured.  
Before Dustin could say anything, Steve turned around wildly to meet his eyes- his arms bolting to his shoulders as he searched him, “What did they do to you?” 

Steve opened his eyes, and was looking upon his own legs, tied to a chair, his left shoe missing and bruises lining his ankle- the blue flooring alone sending shivers down his spine. They were back.  
They were back.  
Where were they?  
Steve whipped his head around, first behind him. Robin wasn’t there. He looked to his left and to his right, but he saw no sign of life nor anything unusual other than a pool of blood underneath him. He didn’t know where he was bleeding from, but the feeling started down his back- the more blood that flowed the less strength he felt. At this point it was hard for him to turn his head at all.  
Steve’s head hung low as he tried and failed to call out their names. His mouth felt like it was on fire and his tongue felt like a venomous snake biting down on his cavities.  
The door swung open and his whole body convulsed. He couldn’t look up, but the mere thought of who he knew it was made him vomit all over his lap- the vomit coming out like ants down his torso and onto his legs.  
He heard Russian. He couldn’t understand it but his mind somehow filled in the gaps for him.  
They had them. They were hurt.  
Steve thrashed at his constraints with all his might, but he could hardly move at all. Cruel laughter bounced off his skull like a bullet trapped in a metal room.  
The laughing stopped in an instant and he found himself surrounded by Russians with tools, scalpels, needles, tweezers and alike. The blood flow from his back increased.  
Steve could see though, the tools were already bloodied.  
And as the dots started to connect in his mind. He heard screaming.  
Their screaming.  
It filled his mind, and it weakened his soul. He was helpless to come to their aid as they screamed out to him for help- it was his fault they were dying. If only he were strong enough.  
“STEVE!” Dustin screamed, as if in his ear, louder than the others. He must be close to death, Steve thought. What had Steve done?  
“No. Stop, please.. Not them, please. Hurt me. Please.” He quietly pleaded as he silently sobbed into his blood soaked chest. Each word stinging his heart.  
“Steve!” His body began to shake, releasing more tears. “Not them.” It came out choked, the loudest he could go- trying to silence the screams with his own voice was all he could do.  
“Steve, wake up! You’re scaring me.”

Steve’s eyes shot open and he immediately hoisted his body up onto his elbows, he wheezed out a tired scream. He swung his head around, and was greeted by Dustin’s worried expression.  
He grabbed Dustin by the shoulders and looked him up and down, checking for injuries. “What did they do to you?” He breathed out, panting. He was ok. His grip lessneed.  
Smaller hands met his own and dropped them off the shoulders he had been grasping at.  
“Steve, it’s ok, buddy. I’m fine.” Dustin said in the most gentle voice he could muster. Steve looked around, seeing he was, in fact, above ground- he realized he had freaked out in front of Dustin, something he swore to himself he’d never do. He never wanted him to see him like this, the weak asshole who woke up screaming nearly every night.  
“Uh. Oh. Haha,” His gaze met the floor as he talked, and he leaned back on his elbow as though that had been his intent the whole time, his left hand quickly swiped tears from his face. “I-um. It’s fine, was just a dream. No need to worry about me, Bud-” He was cut off by Dustin lunging at his chest, wrapping his arms around his thin torso and resting his face below his chest.  
Steve didn’t know what to say, his arms raised instinctively but he couldn’t bring himself to hug Dustin back.  
“I’m sorry, bud.” Steve whispered. Dustin had said he had been scared. God, had he said those things out loud?  
“No, Steve, stop.” Dustin pulled away from Steve and looked him in the eye. It took Steve everything to meet his stare, his eyes even now still red. He didn’t breathe, awaiting judgement.  
“It’s okay. You’re allowed to be scared.” Dustin simply said, in a tone suggesting it wasn't up for discussion.  
Steve looked away from Dustin and chuckled a bit, “What, did they teach you that in Wellness class?”  
“Oh c’mon Steve, you’re just mad because a 14 year old is more emotionally stable than you.” Dustin laughed but Steve knew he was telling the truth, Dustin was much more open with his feelings- it wasn’t that he was the one who was allowed to be, it was because he allowed himself to be open. While Steve purposefully did what was expected of him and kept the dumb teen boy up to any challenge facade up 24/7 as best he could. Steve guessed Dustin was smart enough to see past that.  
“We’re not there now.” Dustin said. Steve felt like a child whose bed had to be checked for monsters. “I...I know.”  
They stayed there in silence for only a small time, but in that time Steve wished he had had this every time he had a nightmare. Some nights it took him hours to calm himself down. Other nights he didn’t sleep, terrified of what his mind could conjure up and force him to bare.  
“Alright Steve, bed time.” Dustin pat the empty space where Steve had been sleeping moments before.  
Steve lied down, hoping this would be the end of it and they could forget about it in the morning.  
But before he knew it, Dustin lied down beside him and put his small arms tightly around him, cuddling close to him.  
Steve knew what he was doing, and felt that bringing it up would make things worse. He didn’t want to admit it, but he didn’t often receive affection- never from his family, and most of his friends were children with places to be. He had gone without anyone caring for his emotional needs for so long; this was new, he would have never expected it. But, he trusted Dustin as if he were family.  
He put his arms around Dustin, one around his waist and one in his hair. He tugged at it gently, unknowingly.  
With Dustin by his side he knew no one could harm him- the thought bringing him solace. His muscles relaxed as he clung to Dustin like a newborn baby. He was safe.  
They were safe.


End file.
